Published in 'Our Cats' February 17th 2004
The Oriental Shorthair
John S Harrison
The Oriental Shorthair is a very elegant cat of medium size;
it is fine boned with a long slender body, the hind legs just a little higher
than the front legs. The tail is long and tapering without any kinks or defects
and should reach at least as far at the shoulders. The Oriental head is
triangular in shape forming an equilateral triangle from tip of ears to tip of
nose free from any sign of exaggeration. The top of head is slightly convex
with width between the ears which should be large and 'pricked' with a wide
base, the ears should not be held low. In profile the skull should be gently
rounded and follow down to the nose in a straight line with no change in the
angulation. From the tip of the ears to the nose should form straight lines
giving a fine, though not pointed, muzzle without a 'break' or pinch at the
whiskers. The eyes are medium sized, expressive, and 'oriental' in shape
slanting towards the nose; in all varieties excepting only the Foreign White
the eyes should be green in colour. The Oriental Shorthair coat is very short,
sleek and close lying with a fine silky texture; in the darker colours it shows
a deep lustrous gloss; it is the same colour from tip of the nose to tip of the
tail.
In somewhat clinical terms I have, albeit badly, described the
Oriental Shorthair …. but of course there is far more to the breed than
this!
Despite its name the Oriental Shorthair has little or no
connection with the 'Orient' and was largely created in Britain during the
1950's, 1960's and 1970's. The name 'Oriental' though used somewhat loosely by
breeders in the late 1970's was not accepted by GCCF until the 1980's when the
Tabby varieties were recognised as 'Oriental' and the Self Varieties as
'Foreign'. In 1991 the GCCF finally conceded and changed the name of all the
varieties to Oriental, with the exception of the Havana and the Foreign White.
The name 'Havana' was retained for the 'Oriental Chocolate' for historic
reasons; and the Foreign White to identify that it was different to the other
self-coloured cats, perhaps with a little more foresight it might have been
moved into the Siamese section where it rightly sits.
A HISTORY OF THE ORIENTAL
The Havana is the oldest
of the Orientals and first appeared in the early 1950's though in the 1920's
and 30's, and even before, 'self-coloured chocolate Siamese' were known. In
1939 Mrs Cox-Ife noted that "In the early days of the breed (Siamese) many
chocolate coloured Siamese appeared on the Show bench - that is the same colour
all over." Chocolate Point Siamese were recognised by the GCCF in 1950 largely
due to the work of Brian Stirling-Webb and this stimulated the thoughts of a
self-chocolate coloured cat of Siamese body type in the minds of Mrs Armitage
Hargreaves and the Baroness Edit von Ullmann. By 1951 they had been joined by
other breeders and "The Havana Group" came into being. The Havana Group later
became "The Chestnut Brown Group" and during the time my mother Betty Harrison
was on the committee became the 'Havana Cat Club' and finally whilst I was the
Chairman became the Havana & Oriental Lilac Cat Club!
In 1952 the
first 'Havana' kitten was born, this being Mrs Munro Smith's Elmtower Bronze
Idol, he was from 'Susannah'; a black shorthair who was the result of a mating
between a Seal Point and a Black Long Haired moggy; and Tombee, a Seal Point
Siamese. In August 1953 a repeat mating of Bronze Idol produced the first
female 'Havana' Elmtower Brown Study. GCCF granted recognition to the variety
in 1958 with the name Chestnut Brown Foreign, Breed No 29. In its wisdom
Council did not grant the name 'Havana' because of the risk of confusion with
the rabbit of that name and its use in the fur trade! In 1958 Mrs Joan Judd
bred Crossways Honeysuckle Rose who two years later in 1960 became the first
GCCF Havana Champion.
There was considerable divergence of opinion
amongst breeders in the degree of 'Foreign Type' required in the Havana and
there was certainly a considerable difference in type between the cats from
'Susannah', and those from the other lines bred from Siamese and Russian Blue,
the former being considerably more cobby in type. Because of this, and the fact
that his grand-sire was a long haired cat, several of the early breeders chose
not to use either Elmtower Bronze Idol or his offspring in their breeding
programmes, a fact which was to be of profound importance in later years.
By 1960 other breeders had joined the ranks of the Chestnut Brown
Foreign breeders including Mrs Sybil Warren, whose well known Senlac line was
descended from a half-pedigree Black SH mated to a Chocolate Point Siamese and,
a fact of great importance, was unrelated to the other lines of Chestnut Brown.
The first Havanas exported to the USA from England during the 1950's were of
cobby type and the early USA breeders developed their 'Havana Browns' from
these, preferring the cobbier type rather than the elegance which the majority
of British breeders aimed for. This is the why today the 'Havana Brown' of the
USA is a cobby cat complete with a distinct nose break, and is a separate
variety to the Oriental!
In 1961 news filtered through from the USA of
a high incidence of foot deformities in kittens from the original UK stock.
After some investigation and discussion amongst breeders in Britain, it became
clear that these deformities were not unknown here in some lines. The deformity
called "Split-Hand" only affects the front feet and is inherited as a dominant.
It shows a very wide range of affection, from severe abnormality to visual
normality, with the result that many affected cats looked perfectly normal. By
the mid 1960's interest in the variety, which had been developing in such a
promising way, had all but gone and was kept alive only by a dedicated handful
of breeders using cats who were unrelated to the defect, primarily these were
the 'Senlac', 'Crumberhill' and 'Sweethope' lines of Sybil Warren, Pat Kirby
and Jim & Beryl Stewart.
In the mid 1960's, after looking at an
over-exposed photograph of one of her Lilac Point Siamese, Miss Patricia
Turner, now Mrs Pat Newton, set out to create a self-white Siamese which of
course we have come to know as the Foreign White. In 1967 as part of her
program to produce 'White Siamese' Pat mated Scintilla Chu Pao, a second
generation Foreign White female, to Scintilla Croesus, a Lilac Point Siamese.
One of the resulting kittens was a self chocolate kitten of distinct Siamese
body type. This kitten was registered as a Chestnut Brown Foreign under the
name of 'Scintilla Copper Beech'. The importance of this chance kitten in the
development of the 'Oriental' varieties cannot be overstated and there can be
few, if any Orientals alive today that do not have Ch Scintilla Copper Beech
way back in their pedigrees. In 1967 her importance to the Chestnut Brown
Foreign was immense for 'Copper' was free from all 'taint' of defect and a cat
of greatly improved type and good rich coat colouring.
'Copper' passed
into the hands of Mrs Pam Wilding who, a mere 37 years later, is still
passionate about the Havana and probably still reeling from a third consecutive
Best of Variety award at the 2003 Supreme Show with 'Copper's' distant relative
UK Gr Ch & Gr Pr Amenra Beau Bruin! Two of Ch Scintilla Copper Beach's
Chestnut Brown Foreign offspring, Ch Dandycat Hula Dancer and Ch Dandycat Zulu
Warrior, went to Mrs Angela Sayer and formed the basis of the famous
'Solitaire' line.
In 1970 co-incidental with the upsurge of interest in
the Chestnut Brown Foreign the GCCF amended the varietal name of Breed No 29 to
the Havana, though by this time most of the originators of the breed were no
longer involved. During the 1950's the mixture of chocolate and blue colouring
had produced 'lavender' or 'lilac' coloured kittens and by 1957 Mrs Hargreaves
had developed a line of 'Lavender Self Short Hairs'. The Lilac Point Siamese
was not recognised at this time, and many of the first Siamese to be recorded
in this colour were also bred by Mrs Hargreaves. Accordingly very many modern
Siamese can be traced back to the 'Laurentide' matings which produced the first
Havana.
There was renewed interest in the Lavender and in the late
1960's the Foreign Lavender Group was formed to co-ordinate the development of
the variety, it was spearheaded by Angela Sayer and Betty Harrison. In 1973
thanks to the good offices of the Colourpoint, Rex-Coated & AOV Club an
application was made to GCCF for recognition of the 'Foreign Lavender'. GCCF
thought differently and the variety was recognised as the 'Foreign Lilac, five
years later in June 1977it was granted Championship status. The first Foreign
Lilac to gain title in early 1978 was Mrs Val Gane's female Ch Burdach
Cartagena, closely followed by Mrs Andrea Martyr's male Ch Mannequin Titus.
The Foreign White, so important in the history of the Havana &
Foreign Lilacs, also gained Championship Status in June 1977, and in November
1977 the first Foreign White Champion was made up, this being my own Ch
Scintilla Jou-Lin who was of course bred by Miss Pat Turner. The first male to
take a title was Ch Ryanna Everest owned & bred by Mrs Connie
Ryder.
From the beginning of 1970 it is difficult to separate the
development of the Havana and the Foreign Lilac; and after the mid 1970's
impossible to separate the Havana and Lilac from the other emerging varieties -
the Black and the Blue. As time passed more and more owners of Siamese females
mated them to 'Oriental' males and all colours and patterns were being
produced. The GCCF granted Championship status to the 'Foreign' Black in 1980
and to the 'Foreign' Blue in 1985 - before finally changing their names to
'Oriental' in 1991. The first Foreign Black champion was John Shewbridge's Ch
Tamruat Black Night; and the first Foreign Blue was Gr Ch Reydau Cyrolite
Sika.
In the 1970's Angela Sayer's numerous cats included Siamese in all
colours, as well as the Havanas. Matings of Havanas and other full coloured
cats to Tabby Point Siamese produced many Spotted and Classic Tabby cats which
were initially referred to as 'Egyptian Maus', not to be confused with the
breed of that name! In the late 1970's Betty Harrison who was by this time the
Oriental Cat Association GCCF Delegate prepared the application for recognition
of the Spotted Tabby; and in 1980 the GCCF granted Championship Status to the
Brown, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Red & Cream Oriental Spotted Tabby. The
first Oriental Spotted Tabby Champion and Grand Champion was Gr Ch Folklore
Moonwolf, and the first female Champion Ch Folklore Iced Mink. These cats were
bred by Mrs Marie McAdam from one of my queens Megrim Cloudie Chrystalles, a
Lilac Silver female which today would have been registered as a Lilac Silver
Shaded - the unfortunate result of this became obvious in many of her
descendants. One cannot help but note that Gr Ch Folklore Moonwolf also finally
ended up with Ted & Pam Wilding!
The Classic Tabby has never been a
popular variety, though it is one which always attracts interest. There has
been little determined attempt to develop it, and generally is has been seen as
by-product of Spotted Tabby breeding. Fortunately there have always been one or
two breeders who have kept the variety going. I can certainly name a
considerable number of Classic Tabbies in the early 1970's, yet it took a
further 20 years before it achieved championship status in 1997. The first
champion was Gd Ch Jasrobinka Perridot owned by Mrs P L Hutchinson and bred by
Mrs Phyllis & John Choppen.
In the early 1970's there were numerous
reds, creams and torties produced from various matings, though it's fair to say
they received very little attention or interest. I can recall breeding a litter
of four cream females in 1975 and giving them away, unregistered, to pet homes!
Torties always attracted more attention and in 1989 the Oriental Torties
achieved championship status, the Reds followed in 1995 with the Creams in
1999. Phil & Jo Auden's Gd Ch Filanjo Topaz was the first Oriental Cream
Champion, and went on to be the first Cream to achieve the title of Grand
Champion.
In the early 1970's a litter of kittens resulted from a
mis-mating between a Chocolate Point Siamese and a L H Chinchilla. Fortunately
Pat Turner heard of the litter, saw the kittens, and took two females which she
registered as Scintasilva Sue and Scinta Celeste and started a breeding
programme not only to develop the potentially beautiful Smokes, Silver Tabbies
and 'Pastels' (now Shaded), but also to study the inheritance of the
responsible alleles. Pat Turner, ever a lady of foresight, quickly realised the
importance of Scintasilva Sue and her daughter Scintilla Serene Sunset, a Black
Tortie Silver Shaded; they inherited from their Chinchilla ancestry not only
the Melanin Inhibitor gene responsible for Silver and Smoke, the Wide-band gene
responsible for the 'Chinchilla' coat, and also a new colour range!
Pat
became aware that Scintilla Serene Sunset was producing 'odd coloured' kittens
which she dubbed 'apricot' and 'caramel'. Scintilla Dresden Rose was the first
cat to be registered as Caramel, she was a Siamese with points the colour of
'caramel toffee', hence the colour name 'Caramel'. The first 'Oriental' in
caramel was Scintilla Kaffy Ole who was described as a 'Dark Phase Caramel
Pastel' - today she would have been a Caramel Silver Shaded. She was a very
pretty cat though her type definitely left much to be desired! When she was 16
weeks old Pat took her to an OCA meeting at the RHS so that other people could
see her colour ….. I saw her ……. and took her home with me to
North Wales! Sadly she produced only one litter of kittens, sired by the Havana
Ch Harislau Flying Fox, producing four chocolate kittens of various patterns.
Our understanding of the inheritance of both Caramel and Apricot was a little
vague but eventually the mode of inheritance and the concept of 'Dilute
Modifier' were recognised. Pat Turner produced very many kittens that were
either Caramel or Apricot, and many more that carried the hidden Dilute
Modifier, these kittens were scattered across the United Kingdom, and indeed to
most of the World, and quite innocently the colour was being spread throughout
the Orientals. Though Caramel was recognised as a colour in Oriental Non-Self
Varieties by the GCCF, and is a very common and popular colour, the Caramel
Self still languishes in Preliminary Status, and will be the last Oriental to
gain full status under GCCF Rules. The Apricot self was recognised along with
the Cream and gained Championship status in 1999.
The Silver Tabbies
were granted Championship status by the GCCF in 1996 and joined their
'standard' coloured cousins in the same Open class. The Smoke, being the
non-agouti version of the Silver Tabby, was finally granted full status in
2000. The first Oriental Smoke title holders were Miss Hemmings Ch Bosscats
Theladyofshallott, Mary Parkinson's Gd Ch Smaug Minnie Theminx, and Katie
Rose's Gr Pr Onapromise Total Eclipse.
The Oriental Shaded though bred
in small numbers since the early 1970's has always been seen as a 'specialist'
variety and was granted Championship Status by the GCCF in 1997, nearly 30
years after it first appeared. The first Champion was UK Gd Ch & Gd Pr
Chelanca Pentlandite, a Caramel Tortie Silver bred by Barbara Fellows from two
cats of my breeding both of which have ancestries tracing back through
Scintilla Kaffy Ole and so to Scintasilva Sue.
If we return to the
early 1970's we find that another "new" line of Havanas was being developed, a
line which was greeted by the Cat Fancy with very mixed reactions! The line was
to have tremendous effects on the 'Orientals' and introduced factors resulting
in the creation of no less than four Oriental varieties! The first Havana of
the line was Ch Southview Unacassiopeia bred by Mrs Maureen Silson in 1969, and
later passed on to Tony & Sheila Clayton along with her Havana son Ch
Southview Duakylin. Roy and Maureen Silson were no strangers to 'experimental'
breeding and having played a major role in the development of the Red Point
Siamese. Ch Southview Unacassiopeia was from a mating between a female imported
from American called Anarts Miiko and Kernow Gerza. Anarts Miiko was registered
here as "Siamese, Any Other Colour" and it was some time before it became
common knowledge that she was in fact registered in the USA as an Albino
Siamese - something which we came to know as 'Recessive White". Kernow Gerza,
bred by Mrs Pam Everley, was sired by Tranby Red Tutankhamen a Sorrel
Abyssinian which in those, now far off, days was known as 'Red' Abyssinian and
his dam was Annelida Fair Lady a Seal Point Siamese bred by Mrs Alison Ashford.
As cats with pedigrees containing Anarts Miiko spread the GCCF,
following considerable debate, introduced a Registration endorsement on Miiko's
descendants. Eventually many lines based on these superb Havanas were cleared
as being free from the recessive white allele - to 'clear' a line one merely
had to mate a potential carrier to a Siamese and continue to breed from the
coloured offspring, for any self coloured kittens were in possession of the
Siamese allele, and therefore by definition free from the recessive white gene.
The colour of the Sorrel Abyssinian is recessive to normal Chocolate
colour, and is known as 'Light Brown', Ch Southview Unacassiopeia inherited
this gene from her sire and passed it on to many of her offspring who, when
mated together, produced the colour varieties we now call the Oriental Cinnamon
and it's dilute the Oriental Fawn. The Oriental Cinnamon was granted
Championship status by the GCCF in 1996, and the Oriental Fawn is at
Provisional Status, and surely must soon qualify for Championship status. The
first Cinnamon champion was Ch Mewzishun Sinfonia owned and bred by Ann
Greatorex.
Many of the Oriental Longhairs can also trace their origins
through the Southview cats to Kernow Gerza for not only did he inherit the
sorrel / cinnamon colouring from his father but also the longhair gene which
was known to be carried by many Abyssinians and subsequently gave rise to the
recognition of the Somali.
In addition to light brown colour and
longhair Kernow Gerza also inherited the Ticked gene from his father Tranby Red
Tutankhamen which eventually resulted in the creation of the Oriental Ticked
Tabby. Tabbies of 'ticked' pattern had been bred before, but had never been
developed. Betty Harrison had a line of Chocolate Torties and Cream Ticked in
the late 1960's and early 1970's which for various reasons was discontinued,
they were bred from Tabby Point and Red Point Siamese and various Tabby feral
cats. In 1985 Angela Morse mated her Havana female, a descendant of Kernow
Gerza, to an Oriental Spotted Tabby and produced Orissa Champagne Charlie, a
Lilac Ticked Tabby. Within the UK today most lines of Ticked Tabbies can be
traced back to this origin. The Ticked Tabby was granted Championship status by
GCCF in 1993 and the first Champion was Gd Ch Lynfield New Moon, a superb
Caramel Ticked. If my memory serves me correctly I believe he was also the
first Caramel champion.
In 1974 a meeting was held in London to draw up
Breed Standards for all the as yet unrecognised varieties. This was not as
daunting as may seem, for it was easy enough to base the type requirement on
the Siamese Breed Standard; the coat length & texture on the Havana
Standard; and the individual patterns on standards of recognised varieties of
British Short Hair or Persian. The meeting was chaired by Mrs Lesley Pring, now
President of the GCCF, and benefited from the presence of the late Roy Robinson
who did so much pioneering work on cat genetics. The only attendees of this
meeting who are still actively involved in the Cat Fancy today are me and my
Mother.
During the early 1970's the Oriental Cat Association, with Miss
Pat Turner as Secretary, was very active in promoting the 'new' varieties and
disseminating information. The club was seen as an 'umbrella' club catering for
all colours and it was envisaged that as the individual varieties became
established separate specialist clubs would be formed. The earliest club for
the varieties was of course the Havana Cat Club which though it pre-dates the
OCA by many years did not achieve affiliation until after the OCA! The
interests of the coloured cats were also looked after by the Tabby Point
Siamese & Progressive Breeders Cat Club, and of course the Short Haired Cat
Society. Today these have been joined by the Foreign White Cat Society, the
Oriental Black & Blue Cat Society, the Oriental Cinnamon & Fawn Group,
the Caramel & Apricot Federation, the Trans-Pennine Oriental & Siamese
Cat Club, and most recently by the Oriental Shaded, Smoke & Tabby Society.
From the mid 1980's it is very difficult to identify any separate lines
in Great Britain and today almost all Orientals will have pedigrees containing
cats bearing the 'Scintilla' and 'Solitaire' prefix. Over the years many cats
were exported from Great Britain and as the result of the increased movement of
cats most Oriental cats around the world can be traced back to a White House
Hold Pet called 'Orchid Lilias' the great grandmother of Ch Scintilla Copper
Beech, and to Scintasilva Sue. If one was to credit the creation of the
Oriental to any one individual then it would undoubtedly be Pat Turner, now Mrs
Pat Newton.
THE ORIENTAL VARIETIES
The GCCF divides Oriental Shorthairs into 'Oriental Selfs',
'Oriental Non-Selfs other than Tabbies', and 'Oriental Tabbies'. The Oriental
Selfs are the single colour cats - the Black, Blue, Havana, Lilac, Cinnamon,
Fawn, Caramel and also the Red, Cream & Apricot. The second group of
Orientals consists of the Torties, Smokes and Shaded - they are neither self
coloured cats nor Tabbies; and the final group are the four patterns of Tabby.
THE SELFS
In addition to the 'coloured' cats there is of course
another 'Self' variety, namely the Foreign White which is of a different
genetic origin, and has the blue eye colour of the Siamese. In many ways one
cannot help but question why the Foreign White is still in the Oriental Section
and has not been transferred to the Siamese Section, for genetically it is a
Siamese with an additional gene for white! With the exception of the Foreign
White all Orientals are of genotype CC or Ccs and show the full expression of
coat colour.
Genetically the Oriental and the Siamese are very close
and visually, other than the body colour, the main difference is eye colour,
for unlike the Siamese the Oriental has a green eye. The GCCF Breed Standard
states that the eye colour in the Oriental should be 'Green with no flecks of
contrasting colour', though in the Havana & Lilac this is qualified as
'Clear, bright vivid green'. In the Breed Standards for the Red, Cream and
Apricot there is recognition of the difficulty in breeding clear green eye
colour in the red series cats and the requirement is for the eyes to be 'Any
shade of green, the more vivid the better, with no flecks of contrasting
colour'. Though the Breed Standard states that the eye colour of the Oriental
is green, the reality is that the eye colour of very many Orientals ranges from
orange to yellow to yellowish-green and the desired clear green is seen in the
minority of cats. It is the aim of all breeders to breed clear green eyes, but
few breeders do so with consistency. Good eye colour makes all the difference
between a 'top winner' and an 'also ran'. There does not appear to be any logic
to the inheritance of green eye colour and parents with perfect eye colour can
produce kittens of very poor eye colour; and yellow eyed parents will produce
kittens with perfect eye colour!
The coat of the Oriental should be
short and close lying and it is a requirement of all Oriental Self Breed
Standards that the colour is sound to the roots, in other words extends right
down to the roots. It is not enough just to look at the surface of the coat and
this is why Judges pull back the coat and look at the roots. So important is
this deemed that Judges are instructed to withhold Certificates or First Prizes
in Kitten Open Classes where the colour is 'unsound' or does not extend right
down to the skin. One problem with Orientals is that they do enjoy lying in the
sun, and it really does play havoc with their coats! Blacks and Blues develop
rusty patches in their coats and the other colours show pale yellowish patches
….. the result of a Havana lying in the sun may well be a nice brown body
with ginger ears and tail, and a poor Cinnamon becomes totally mottled
ginger!
White markings anywhere in the coat of an Oriental, regardless
of the colour or pattern, are totally unacceptable and Judges are instructed to
withhold all awards from cats with white markings. The two most common places
where white markings are likely to be found are on the neck under the chin, and
in the middle of the tummy. Judges invariably refer to a white patch on the
throat as a 'locket' and on the tummy as a 'belly spot'. The presence of
scattered white hairs in the coat is also a serious fault, though not quite as
bad as white markings, and Judges are instructed to withhold certificates or
first prizes in Kitten Open Classes from animals showing this fault. The most
likely places to find white hairs are on the throat, at the 'bikini line' on
the tummy, between the hind legs and in the 'armpits'. It is not unknown for
small kittens to be liberally peppered with long white guard hairs, it can be
rather alarming for the breeder, but invariably these moult out when the kitten
is five or six months old leaving a totally clear coat! It must be borne in
mind that in many cases hairs growing on the site of wounds and scar tissue may
change colour, and it is not unusual to find speckled white hairs on the site
of injuries. What then does the Judge do when confronted by a faultless female
who has scattered white hairs around the back of her neck and between the
shoulders? If the queen has obviously had several litters of kittens, then it
is more than likely that the hairs are the result of an over amorous stud cat
……. should the Judge withhold the Certificate as directed by the
Breed Standard? …… or should the exhibitor have removed the offensive
hairs? As a Judge and an exhibitor I have to say that in either situation the
decision will always be between me and my conscience!
THE ORIENTAL BLACK and BLUE
The Oriental Black
is a totally black cat and the coat should be "Jet black to the roots" and
should be free from any rusty tinge. Nose leather and eye rims are black, and
paw pads are a dark brown to black. An Oriental Black with a really good short
glossy coat will shine like polished ebony. In the Oriental Blue the coat
should be a 'light to medium blue' totally 'free from silvery tipping' or rusty
tinge. The Nose Leather, eye rims and paw pads should be solid blue, though in
kittens this may be rather pinkish blue.
The colour of the majority of
Oriental Blues is far too dark and is more 'gunmetal' in colour than 'light to
medium' blue. It is quite possible that we are being unrealistic in asking for
a 'light to medium' blue coat and at the same time asking for a short glossy
coat. The Blue Persian has a long coat of soft powder blue and the British Blue
has a medium length coat of mid-blue, the common factor is that there is the
same amount of blue pigmentation in each type of hair. Spread over a long hair
the colour is soft blue, and becomes darker in breeds with shorter hair, one
does therefore have to question if in the Oriental Shorthair we are seeking the
impossible.
THE HAVANA and ORIENTAL LILAC
The Breed Standard for the Havana asks that the coat is 'rich warm
chestnut brown' which is neither dark nor cold toned. The nose leather, eye
rims and paw pads are brown or pinkish-brown. There is no doubt that on the
showbench there is a considerable range of colour in the Havana, and the
majority fall within the range of acceptability, though there are some that are
so dark they could almost be mistaken for black! The ideal coat colour in an
adult has warmth and richness and is only sufficiently dark so that ghost
markings are not immediately obvious.
The Oriental Lilac is the dilute
cousin of the Havana; the coat colour is described as 'frosty grey with a
distinct pinkish tone, giving an overall appearance of lilac'. It should not be
too blue or too fawn in colour. The nose leather, eye rims, and paw pads should
all be of a pinkish lilac colour. Unfortunately many of the Oriental Lilacs
today are very cold and bluish in colour, lacking the soft pinkish hue that the
standard requires. The correct lilac colour is very delicate and attractive. Of
course it will show ghost markings to a greater or lesser degree, and this must
be accepted. Because so many Oriental Lilacs are rather dark or cold in colour
they do cause confusion with the Oriental Caramel. A good lilac colour and a
good caramel colour are distinctly different, but unfortunately where neither
is of good colour the differences can be very slight.
Unlike the other
Self Colours (excepting Red, Cream & Apricot) where the requirement is
merely for the eyes to be 'green' the Breed Standard for the Havana &
Foreign Lilac qualifies this and states that it should be 'Clear, bright vivid
green'. There can be no sight more beautiful than a richly coloured Havana with
clear 'grass green' eyes!
THE ORIENTAL CINNAMON and
FAWN
The GCCF Breed Standard describes the coat colour as
being "Warm cinnamon brown, coloured to the roots", the colour is a rich sandy
brown with is far removed from the deep rich brown of the Havana. One of the
problems with the Oriental Cinnamon is that the light coat shows ghost
markings, and though some allowance has to be for this preference must be given
to the clearest coats. The nose leather is Cinnamon brown, and the pads are
pink to brown in colour.
The Breed Standard for the Oriental Fawn
describes the coat as being "Warm rosy mushroom, coloured to the roots. The
pinker the better, colour too blue or cold is a fault". A good coloured Fawn is
a cat of great beauty and is much softer and more delicate in colour than even
the best of the Oriental Lilacs. Again because the coat colour is so light
there is a tendency for ghost markings. The nose leather and pads are described
as "pinkish fawn".
The 'light brown' gene which produces Cinnamon; and
in combination with dilute, the Fawn; is recessive to the normal Chocolate
Brown gene responsible for the production of the brown colouring seen in the
Havana and Chocolate Point Siamese, and can accordingly be carried by cats of
the normal brown or lilac colour, or indeed any other colour. One cannot detect
visually which Havanas or Orientals may carry the recessive 'light brown'
allele; but two such Havanas mated together will produce both the normal brown
cat, and the 'light brown' cat. In the self form the differences will be
readily apparent, but in combination with Siamese markings the differences
might be less obvious and novices may well experience considerable difficulty
differentiating between a pointed kitten of good chocolate and a 'light brown'
point. When combined with the blue allele, the 'light brown' cat is transformed
into a dilute version of the Foreign Lilac, and these will appear as a lighter,
more fawn colour than the conventional Lilac. Again novices may experience
difficulty separating 'light lilac' and normal lilac colouring in the self, but
especially so when combined in the Siamese Pointed kitten.
THE ORIENTAL CARAMEL
The Oriental Caramel is
often thought of as being rather dull drab in colour; it does not have a lot of
appeal - which is possibly why it is now the only known Oriental colour which,
in GCCF, is still in Assessment Classes. The Caramel colour is the result of
the action of a dominant gene known as the 'Dilute Modifier' (Dm) on Blue,
Lilac and Fawn. Current theory is that the presence of the Dilute Modifier gene
converts Blue, Lilac and Fawn. There are visible differences between the three
Caramel genotypes, especially in the Tabby forms, but they are really quite
subtle. The Breed Standard recognized the differences in colour and describes
the coat colour as "Dark brownish grey (for blue based) or a warmer brownish
grey (for lilac/fawn based), coloured to the roots. All caramels should display
a metallic sheen irrespective of their colour base, but may be less evident in
kittens. " The distinctive metallic, aluminium like sheen, which is
particularly visible across the neck and top of head is a hallmark of the
variety, though in the Self form is often not very obvious unless the animal
has heavy ghost markings. In the Tabby and Shaded forms it is very distinct.
Though the Dilute Modifier gene is a dominant gene it can be carried by
Black, Chocolate, Cinnamon and Red cats, plus of course Black, Chocolate and
Cinnamon Torties without in any way affecting the appearance of their colour.
To all intents and purposes the gene lurks undetected, until of course Caramel
or Apricot kittens arrive! Our current understanding of the action of the
Dilute Modifier gene may not be quite complete. What is quite certain is that
it is a dominant gene. It is not incompletely dominant - as such there is no
visible difference between the homozygote DmDm and the heterozygote Dmdm. In
theory the Dilute Modifier gene changes Blue, Lilac and Fawn into Caramel,
therefore it must follow that a Blue, Lilac, or Fawn cannot 'carry' the Dilute
Modifier. There are however clear examples of supposedly Blue & Lilac
parents producing Caramel kittens. This could be because one parent is
incorrectly registered, possibly because it has a very poor expression of
Caramel colour, or because there is a quirk of the gene which still eludes us.
THE FOREIGN WHITE
The Foreign
White must surely be the most elegant of the Orientals, with a look as delicate
as porcelain. The coat must be the cleanest and clearest of whites and have the
sparkle of purest snow, add to this the clean pink nose and royal blue eyes and
many have fallen under their spell. The Foreign White is the most ethereal of
breeds!
The Foreign White is an anomaly in the Oriental Shorthair
Section, for it is the only variety to have blue eye colour, rather than green.
The Breed Standard asks for the eyes to be 'clear brilliant blue, the deeper
the better'. In Siamese it is well known that the greatest intensity of eye
colour is to be found in the Seal Point, indeed such a deep blue eye would not
for example suit a Lilac Point. In the early days of Foreign White breeding
deep blue eyes were considered to be very important and the aim was to breed
only to Seal Point Siamese. Today matings to other colour Siamese are fairly
commonplace and as a result some Foreign Whites have the paler eye colour
associated with Blue, Chocolate and Lilac Points.
'Freckles' are an
oddity of red cats, they are of course spots of pigmentation of the basic
colour of the cat and can occur on the nose leather, lips or ears of red, cream
and apricot cats, including Siamese. It was for this reason, in the early days
of the Foreign White that matings to red series Siamese were frowned upon
because of the very high possibility of nose freckles, which were at that time
a disqualifying fault. The Breed Standard has now been relaxed and a note added
stating "'Freckles' may appear on the nose, pads, lips and eye rims. Slight
freckling in a mature cat should not be penalized." Foreign White kittens will
often show a 'smudge' of colour on the top of their head, and though the Breed
Standard makes no mention, the majority of Judges will totally disregard this
recognizing it as a sign that the kitten is unlikely to be deaf. Deafness is a
common problem in White cats, but something that the Foreign White is fairly
free from. The coloured 'smudge' is a transitory thing and will have
disappeared by the time the kitten is adult.
The GCCF does not
recognise the green eyed 'Oriental White', nor indeed the Odd-eyed, or Orange
eyed varieties. Whilst the last two do not really fall in with the 'Oriental'
idea the green eyed White most certainly does, and there would be no reason why
it could not be interbred with any of the other Oriental varieties….. alas
GCCF does not think it is not something we should do …. but the
'Green-eyed White' is rather attractive for all that!
THE ORIENTAL RED, CREAM & APRICOT
The
inheritance of red colour in the cat is highly unusual in that it is
'sex-linked'. The 'red' colour is carried on a sex chromosome and results not
only in the mosaic pattern of the tortoiseshell, but also the specific
relationship between gender and colour. The gene responsible for red ('orange')
colour is carried on the X chromosome and is symbolised 'O' for 'Orange'. A
male cat, being XY, can therefore only have one gene for red colour, and is
therefore either 'O' or 'o'; whereas the female, being XX, will have two genes
and therefore have genotype OO, Oo or oo. Cats of genotype 'O' and 'OO' will be
Red, Cream or Apricot in colour dependant on their remaining genotype. Cats of
'o' and 'oo' will not be in possession of any red colour, and those cats of
genotype 'Oo' are the tortoiseshells, or torties, which are a mixture of both
red and non-red colour and again the exact colour will be determined by the
remainder of their genotype.
A further peculiarity of the red series
cats is the 'masking' effect of the 'O' gene, which is totally different to
some genes being 'dominant' and others 'recessive'. The masking effect of a
gene is called epistatis, and in the cat the two most obvious examples are the
non-agouti gene which completely masks or hides the tabby pattern, and the
Dominant White (W_) which totally masks all other colours. The 'O' gene
converts the normally black pigmentation to 'orange' or red pigmentation and
completely masks the effects of the agouti and non-agouti genes. The result is
that it is impossible to differentiate VISUALLY between a Red Self and a Red
Tabby cat - they are identical and both appear to be RED TABBY! The GCCF Breed
Standard takes cognizance of this and the colour descriptions of Red, Cream and
Apricot states that "Tabby markings may be evident, especially in kittens, and
should not penalise an otherwise good cat".
The 'O' gene appears to
have some effect on the eye colour, and it is difficult to breed a really good
strong green eye colour in Red, Cream and Apricot, though the Torties
invariably have vibrant green eyes! Of course there are reds with wonderful eye
colour, but it is a rarity. The GCCF Breed Standard makes allowance for this
anomaly and states that eye colour should be "Any shade of green, the more
vivid the better'.
'Freckles', or spots of pigmentation of the base
colour of the cat on the nose leather, lips or ears, are another oddity of red,
cream & apricot cats. Invariable freckles do not show in kittenhood but
appear as tiny pinpricks of pigment in early adulthood. As time passes the
freckles grow in size until they are the size of match-heads and in the worst
cases of they will join up and form irregular black patches. The GCCF Breed
Standard states that "Slight freckling in a mature cat should not be
penalized".
The colour of red varies greatly in the cat, and the ideal
colour in a show cat is far removed from the average 'ginger' or 'marmalade'
moggy. The depth or intensity of colour is not determined entirely by the 'O'
gene, or indeed by the masked base colour, but is the result of the action of
polygenes. Some polygenes or 'enhancers' affect the richness and depth of
colour and this effect is often referred to as 'rufism'. In Chocolate, Cinnamon
and the red series selection for the effect of these polygenes is essential -
in their absence the colours will lack warmth and be a poor relation of the
best colour form. In Silvers of course the presence of these same polygenes is
highly undesirable because they produce tarnishing!
The Apricots are of
course Creams that also have the Dilute Modifier (Dm) gene in their makeup; by
and large they are an attractive colour. The Apricot is a slightly more intense
colour than the Cream and usually has a hotter flush to it. Like the Caramel
the Apricot invariably has a metallic sheen especially over the head; this must
not be confused with the powdery effect of a good coloured cream!
It is
visually impossible to differentiate between a Red, Cream or Apricot 'Self' or
non-agouti cat, and a Red Tabby, Cream Tabby or Apricot Tabby! There is a
school of thought, of which I am a member, that because of the unusual nature
of red inheritance and the epistatic effect of the colour, all reds - be they
agouti or non-agouti - should be shown in the same class and judged to a common
standard which asks for markings. In order that there is CONSISTENCY in judging
there is a simple "rule of thumb" which can be applied to Self cats. Put both
hands, palms facing downwards, in front of you with the fingers closed and the
thumbs out at right angles, now bring the hands together so that one thumb is
on top of the other - this gives a gap of about 6 or 7cm between the two hands(
depending on sizes!). Placing the hands in this manner along the back of all
Oriental Reds, Creams & Apricots and assessing the area between will give
consistency of judging - if that area shows pattern it is too heavily marked;
if it shows minimal pattern in that area it is acceptable as a self.
The GCCF registers all red, cream and apricot kittens from a mating
where either parent is Agouti as agouti kittens. To some degree this is a
sensible move, but by simple definition probably 25% are incorrectly
registered!
THE ORIENTAL NON-SELFS, Other
than Tabby
THE ORIENTAL TORTIES
Though they are genetically mosaics; the description of
Tortoiseshell or Tortie cats as "having bits and pieces of colour here and
there" is far more apt, albeit not very technical! The colour distribution in
Torties may be 'patched' or 'mingled'. In the early days judges looked for
patches of colour in Black Torties, yet looked for mingled colour in the Blue
Cream! Because the colour distribution is random Torties simply cannot be bred
to order; and so the breeding of Torties is very much a 'lucky dip' - you have
to take what you are given!
Torties are recognised in Black, Blue,
Chocolate and Cinnamon, where the other two colours present in the coat will be
red and cream; the Lilac and Fawn torties where the other colour will be cream;
and finally the Caramel tortie which will also have apricot hairs. It is
important that all relevant colours are present in the coat, and that there is
a fairly even distribution of colour. There is no rule as to what the perfect
balance of colours is, and at the outer edges it becomes purely personal
choice! However in the Oriental Tortie large patches of colour are undesirable
because the red and/or cream / apricot will invariably show very heavy tabby
pattern. Equally it is not desirable there is so little red/cream/apricot that
you cannot immediately tell a cat is a Tortie and end up looking for mottled
pads or odd red hairs!!
There is a vast difference between Torties,
which show heavy tabby markings in the red and cream areas, and Tortie Tabbies.
In the non-agouti Tortoiseshell cat any tabby pattern will only be apparent in
the red, cream or apricot areas. So for example in the case of a Black Tortie
tabby markings may be visible in the red and cream areas, BUT there will never
be tabby pattern in the black areas. However in the Tortie Tabby (A_ B_ D_ T_)
the pattern of spots should be visible over the entire cat and the spots should
be, to a greater or lesser degree, of mixed black, red and cream colour. Unlike
the non-agouti the Tortie Tabby (also known as Torbies) will show pattern in
the non-red areas.
THE ORIENTAL SMOKE
The Oriental Smoke is recognised in all colours accepted in
the Oriental Shorthair. The Breed Standard states that there should be 'a near
white undercoat, which should be approximately one-third to two-thirds of the
total hair length in adults'. This is quite a considerable range, and certainly
exceeds that accepted in other breeds. In the Asian Smoke for example the
requirement is that the undercoat 'be no less than one-third, and no more than
one-half of the total length of hair in adults.' In the Smoke Long Hair the top
two-thirds should be 'of deepest intensity of the appropriate colour' with 'The
bottom one-third of the hair as light as possible'. The Oriental Smoke
therefore differs slightly from other breeds where the Smoke is a cat of
contrast, and a Black Smoke should look like a Black cat until the coat is
ruffled to show a white undercoat. Of course this is quite acceptable in the
Oriental Smoke, but the Breed Standard also allows for the white undercoat to
show through with the result that 'faint ghost tabby markings may be evident on
the body'. The Standard does state that 'distinct tabby markings in adults are
undesirable' but they are not a withholding fault - in other breeds this would
not be acceptable.
'Silver' colour is caused by the action of a
dominant gene known as the Melanin Inhibitor. When this gene (I) is present the
full development of pigmentation in the hair is prevented, and the hairs do not
develop 'yellow' pigmentation and have white bases. It affects both the
non-agouti and the agouti cat; it turns a non-agouti of 'Self' Cat into a
Smoke, and an agouti cat into either a Silver Tabby or Silver Shaded. The gene
has a widely variable effect, in some animals there is a very deep white base,
whilst in others the animal is so dark that it appears visually self-coloured.
The Melanin Inhibitor or 'Silver' gene is dominant, however because of it's
very variable degree of expression some kittens may be so dark that they appear
to be a solid normal colour. In the past we used to refer to these animals as
being 'overlaps' and may well produce Smoke or Silver kittens, thus giving the
impression that the gene is recessive. Because of this the GCCF 'over-stamps'
or endorses the registrations of all 'apparently' non-silver kittens from
Silver breeding with the statement "Silver in pedigree"
In Silver
Tabbies the pattern colour, and top colour in Smokes, lacks the warmth of
colour which is found in their non-silver, or 'standard' counterparts, so for
example a Chocolate Silver Tabby or a Chocolate Smoke will lack the warmth and
richness found in a Havana.
In the red series there is little if any
difference between the pattern colour in a Red and a Red Silver or Red Smoke.
In Red, Cream and Apricot the Silver lacks the 'sparkling whiteness' found in
other colours and is of a distinct 'ivory white' colour, and to the uninitiated
may appear to be a pale cream rather than silver. Because of the widely
variable effect of the Silver gene and the fact that in reds the silver ground
is ivory coloured it is often quite difficult to differentiate between reds and
red silvers, as is also true for the cream and apricot counterparts. Where the
silver genes have a very strong expression there is no problem sorting them
out, but where the expression is poor it is a totally different matter. Because
of the epistatic effect of the 'O' gene is virtually impossible to
differentiate visually between the Smoke and Silver Tabby in Red, Cream &
Apricot - though genetically different they may appear to be identical!
THE ORIENTAL SHADED
The Oriental
Shaded is probably the connoisseur's cat of the Oriental Shorthair; it is a
Tabby with additional genes and polygenes which effectively break up and
distort the pattern. Needless to say in the Silver Shaded and Tipped this is
highly desirable and results in the desired cat. In the Chinchilla this has
been taken to its limit and present day Chinchillas appear to be almost totally
white coated. Having bred the Shaded for very many years now I am conscious
that we still do not fully understand the inheritance of the Shaded, every time
we think we have it sorted a mating results in a litter which throws it all
back into the melting pot!
The Standard Shaded does look remarkably
like a very poor Tabby cat, but one which appears to have more ground colour
than the normal form. Though the tabby pattern may well be totally recognisable
it will be rather less distinct than desired in a Tabby, and it will not be
sound to the roots - it will only extend into the upper portion of the hair.
Unfortunately on close examination these cats are rather reminiscent of a
Ticked Tabby with very heavy ghost markings! They are however distinguishable
from the Tabbies. There seems to be a generally held view that any Tabby with
an indistinct pattern is a Shaded -- this is most certainly NOT the case. Some
poor Tabbies are unfortunately just that! The Oriental Shaded and the Oriental
Tabbies must show distinct and obvious differences, there must be no question
of 'either/or', and it must not be a case of tossing a coin to decide whether a
cat is a Shaded or a Tabby!
In essence a Shaded, be it Silver or
Standard, is a modified Tabby where the colour is restricted to the upper
portion of the hair, varying from one half to just a tiny tip. Whatever the
degree of shading/tipping it must be evenly distributed, and should be free
from tabby markings, though allowances must be made in kittens, which at birth
are just like their tabby cousins. The highly developed or perfected form of
Shaded will only result from selectively breeding together Shaded cats. Of
course the genes responsible are not exclusive to agouti cats, and non-agouti
(Self) cats may well inherit the genes which may well be responsible for many
unsound coats seen in some lines of Orientals. The Oriental Shaded has the
colour restricted to the upper portion of the hair, and because of the
permissible variation in degree of tipping the Silver Shaded can be an almost
off-white cat with very limited coloration; or it can have a very noticeable
mantle of colour over the body; or indeed anything in between. There is
considerable scope for variation and personal choice. The standard does not
dictate that the lighter cats are best!
The Standard of Points gives
clear guidelines regarding colours. In the Silver Shaded the base colour should
be almost white with freedom from pigmentation or tarnishing (sometimes
referred to as 'rufism' and 'brassiness'), whilst the Standard, or non-silver,
has a very soft warm coloured base. The Chocolate Silver Shaded therefore has
off-white to white hairs with rather cold chocolate tips, whereas the Chocolate
Shaded has a warm rich toffee colour base with warm rich chocolate tips. In
neither case should there be banding or ticking below the tip, though in the
majority of heterozygotes this will be present to a greater or lesser degree.
There are three distinct pattern forms in the Oriental Tabby, Ticked,
Spotted and Classic; we have accepted that the Shaded is a modified Tabby, and
therefore can be of any pattern. It is comical that many of the Shaded cats of
Classic and Spotted pattern, where there is almost total breakdown of pattern
are confused with Ticked Tabbies by many breeders and judges too! Closer
examination of vestigial tail rings will however reveal the pattern form.
It is not realistic to expect to breed quality Silver and Standard
Shaded from the same mating, for in the Silver we are looking for total
inhibition of yellow pigmentation, resulting in a total lack of warmth. From
observation it is clear that the majority of Standards bred from Silver are
cold in colour and lack richness; equally Silvers bred from non-silver tend to
have a predisposition to tarnishing. Breeders of Long Hair Chinchillas and
British Silver Tabbies learned many years ago that the path to perfection in
Silvers is to breed Silver to Silver, Standard to Standard, and 'never the
twain shall meet'!
THE ORIENTAL NON-SELFS - The
Tabbies
A fundamental requirement of all Oriental varieties
is that they shall be of Oriental type. In the Self varieties the only other
basic requirement is that they are correct, sound and even coloured. In the
Tabby varieties however there is one other essential requirement, notably
pattern which is clearly defined in the Breed Standard. The Oriental Tabbies
must have both type and pattern. A balance must be struck between these two
essential elements, yet it appears that all too often Breeders and Judges
concentrate on type and treat pattern as being of secondary importance.
The Tabby Cat is the result of the action of two genes, the agouti gene
and the pattern gene. The agouti gene produces banding or ticking on the hair,
so that unlike the non-agouti or Self coloured cats; where the hair is the same
colour from the skin to the tip of the hair; in the agouti cat the hair is
banded along its length. This agouti hair is also seen in the rabbit and other
small mammals. However in the Cat the agouti gene does not affect all parts of
the coat equally and some areas of the coat remain a solid colour with no
ticking thus creating the Tabby markings, or Pattern The pattern (or markings)
is (are) the solid coloured area of the coat, in other words the spots, bars,
stripes & whorls (according to variety).
The pattern must be solid
in colour and sound to the roots, and must show as little invasion of agouti
hairs as possible. In other words the pattern should not show any ticked or
banded hairs, and neither should it show light roots. The ground colour is the
area of the coat which is made up of agouti hairs, that is hairs which are
ticked or banded. It is essential that there is a sharp contrast between the
pattern and the ground colour, and this can only be achieved when the pattern
is solid in colour and free from ticking or 'agouti invasion'. The body
markings must be as deep and free from ticking as possible and must be the same
intensity and depth of colour as the facial and leg markings and the tail tip.
If there is ticking in the pattern then there will be visual blurring, the
contrast will be diminished and the pattern will have reduced clarity of
definition - in short it will be superficial and have a smudged appearance. The
GCCF Breed Standard clearly state that "There should be no speckling of agouti
hairs in the markings and a pattern which consists of dark agouti on a light
agouti ground is incorrect and must be penalised" and further lists "Agouti
hair in markings (except in Ticked Tabbies)" and "Lack of pattern contrast and
clarity (except in Ticked Tabbies)" as faults for which Judges must withhold
Challenge Certificates and First Prizes in Kitten classes. The best cats of the
early Tabby lines, in the late 60's and early 70's, did not have agouti
invasion of the pattern, nor did they have noticeably unsound pattern colour.
Many cats did have fully ringed tails and leg markings right down to the toes.
The common factor is that in these early lines there was no recorded ancestry
of Chinchilla or Silver.
The colour in Tabbies is a major part of their
beauty. If the colours are poor then the whole effect, no matter how well
defined or well formed the pattern may be, will be spoiled. The Breed Standard
for the Oriental Tabbies clearly defines the colouring required. Correct colour
is most important; a richly coloured Brown Tabby is most attractive, whereas
the poorly coloured version of black markings on a greyish ground most
certainly is not.
One of the quirks of the Tabbies is the tendency to
reduced pigmentation on the chin and lips, sometimes being so pale as to appear
white. Whilst Tabbies have a predisposition to pale chins it is essential that
breeders positively select for colouring, and select against those animals
showing white on the chin. The Standard states "It is a serious fault if this
extends to the throat and/or muzzle in Standard Tabbies but silvery-white
colour on the throat and or muzzle in Silver Tabbies is not a fault".
Unfortunately the effect of the Ticked Tabby gene Ta does result in a paler
chin and Judges should show a greater tolerance in this particular variety.
In all Tabby patterns the leg markings should ideally extend well down
the leg and onto the toes. It is worth remembering that these will be better
defined in the Classic Tabby and in the Spotted than in the Ticked. The Breed
Standards reflect this, for the Classic and Spotted Tabby states "The barring
should extend from the body markings to the toes", and qualifies the marking in
the Spotted to be ".... barred and/or spotted." Whereas in the Classic and
Mackerel it states '….. legs should be barred'. The requirement for the
Ticked Tabby is "…the bars may be of reduced intensity and/or extent or
absent".
Tail markings are also required in all Tabby varieties, and it
is interesting to note how the tail rings differ in each variety. One common
factor is that in all Patterns there must be a solid coloured tail tip. In the
Classic the tail has wide rather irregular tail rings along the full length of
the tail. The rings should join on the underside of the tail. The Spotted again
has a ringed tail, though the rings are far more even in width and spacing,
again they must join on the underside of the tail. The Mackerel (at least in
the Feral cat) has very many narrow rings evenly spaced along the tail, and of
course they are joined. The Ticked Tabby Standard differs from those for other
patterns and states "…… the rings may be reduced in intensity and/or
extent or absent" in recognition of the nature of the pattern. To find a Ticked
Tabby with a fully ringed tail along its entire length AND NO body markings
would be something of a miracle! The Tabby Standards also make allowance for
incomplete dark tail tips in Reds, Creams and Apricots it states "There should
be a solid tip of the pattern colour except in Red, Cream and Apricot tabbies
where the tip may be pale". From experience it is almost impossible to breed
Red, Cream or Apricot cats with solid tail tips!
Silver is caused by
the action of a dominant gene, called the Melanin Inhibitor, which prevents the
full development of pigmentation in the hair. In the agouti cat the gene is
selective and a greater effect is seen on the agouti hairs than in the pattern.
The pattern in effect becomes light at the roots as in the Smoke, while in the
agouti hairs some of the lower coloured bands may be removed producing a very
light ground colour, where the agouti banding is noticeably less than in the
non-silver cat, and the hairs consist of a smaller number of coloured bands
with almost white in between. The Silver versions of the Tabbies are most
attractive cats, and there are some differences which must be remembered when
looking at the coats of Silvers. Whilst the pattern must conform to the
description of the Standard colours, it must be remembered that the pattern
will not be sound to the roots, there will be a definite whitish section
towards the skin.
The Silvers also lack the warmth of colour of the
standard colours, and for example one would never expect to find a Chocolate
Silver Spotted with rich deep Havana coloured spots! Would that it were
possible! The Melanin Inhibitor reduces the amount of pigmentation in both
pattern and ground colour. The ground colour in the Silver shows a very
noticeable difference to the standard Tabby of equivalent colour. The ground
colour is near-white, or white with limited coloured ticking - the less ticking
the lighter the ground colour and the greater the contrast. Those cats which
show a greater degree of ticking (or banding) show more colour in the ground
and do not have the desired contrast. These latter coats are sometimes
described as being 'muddy' or 'cloudy'. One common failing in Silvers is that
they frequently show yellowing especially to the face and legs. This is often
referred to as 'tarnishing' or being 'brassy', and clearly detracts from the
bright sparkling effect one is looking for in a Silver. This 'tarnishing' is
caused by polygenes which enhance the richness of colour in standard varieties
and is usually referred to as 'Rufism'. In Silvers rufism is selected against,
and so again there will be a reduction in the 'warmth' of the pattern colour.
An offshoot of this is that standard coloured cats bred from Silvers frequently
also lack warmth and richness of colour. All Tabbies are prone to a lightening
of colour on the lips, chin and throat and in Silvers the reduced pigmentation
produces very light coloured, or white, chins, throats and muzzles - this is
NOT a fault
THE ORIENTAL TICKED TABBY
The entire body coat consists of ticked or agouti hairs, and the tabby
barring appears only on the head, legs, and tail. The body fur itself is true
agouti, consisting solely of evenly banded hairs. The Standard states "The coat
should be evenly ticked with pattern colour, with double, or preferably treble,
ticking, i.e. two or three bands of each colour on each hair", but in reality
in the very short Oriental hair evenness of ticking is more important than the
number of bands. The Breed Standard recognizes the character of the Ticked
gene, and accepts that a fully ringed tail is not a realistic requirement in
the Ticked Tabby, and also accepts that "there may be a necklace(s), broken or
unbroken", in other words it does not matter whether it is completely joined or
not. The Ticked Tabby is a peculiar variety in that it has two forms depending
on the genotype.
Because the Ticked gene Ta is incompletely dominant to
the other alleles in the series the heterozygous form Ta _ shows a greater
degree of head, leg and tail markings than the homozygous form Ta Ta which has
a remarkable absence of barring on the limbs, both having an evenly ticked
body. Abyssinian breeders have, over very many years, selected for the
homozygous form and animals showing any barring are severely penalised. The
only vestiges of 'tabby pattern' which remain in the Abyssinian are a solid
tail tip, dark fur to the back of the feet, and 'eye liner'. An incomplete or
broken necklet is also accepted. When the Oriental Ticked Tabby was recognised
the partial tabby markings of the heterozygote were seen as desirable, and so
leg barring, tail markings, necklaces and facial markings were demanded by the
Breed Standard. The Breed Standard was subsequently amended to allow for the
homozygote which need have no leg markings, no tail rings other than a solid
tail tip, and minimal markings to the face or neck.
At birth a good
Ticked Tabby is solid in colour with only minimal markings visible on the face
and tail. As the kittens develop the ticking begins to show through and at
three or four month old the kittens are miniature Ticked Tabbies with ticking
showing all over the body. As the kittens grow to adulthood the ticking becomes
more distinct.
THE ORIENTAL SPOTTED TABBY
The Spotted Tabby in the very best form is a cat of outstanding beauty.
The pattern should consist of spots of solid colour on an agouti background.
The spots may vary in size, but ideally should be round in shape; elongated
spots resembling broken bars are not acceptable. The spine line must be broken
into spots and a solid spine line in an adult is severely penalised. In many
Spotties three lines of spots are seen along the spine. The majority of Spotted
Tabbies have barred legs, but occasionally one with spotted legs is seen,
either of course is acceptable. The leg markings should extend as far down to
the feet as possible. The tail must have a solid coloured tip, and should have
solid coloured rings along its entire length.
The pattern of a Spotted
Tabby should be in sharp contrast to the ground colour and the spots should be
sound to the roots, showing neither lighter roots nor ticked hairs. Many
Spotteds show an excessive and unacceptable degree of ticking in the pattern
area, and this obviously reduces the contrast with the ground colour (which is
of course ticked). The pattern should be immediately visible. If you have to
look for the spots on the body then the pattern is incorrect. All parts of the
pattern should match in colour; the spots on the body should be the same colour
as the tip of the tail.
THE ORIENTAL MACKEREL TABBY
Feral and domestic cats of Mackerel pattern certainly exist, but they
usually have white feet and bibs to boot! It is questionable whether the
Spotted Tabby a Mackerel with broken bars, or is a Mackerel Tabby a Spotted
with narrow linked spots? In the Oriental the Mackerel Tabby though it has
championship status really may not exist! The Breed Standard however asks for
narrow unbroken lines running vertically down the body from the spine line, and
asks that "these lines should be as narrow and numerous as possible".
THE ORIENTAL CLASSIC TABBY
The Classic Tabby is sometimes known as the 'Marbled Tabby' or the
'Blotched Tabby' and is the lowest in order of dominance. The Classic Tabby is
homozygous for pattern and therefore when mated together two Classics will only
produce Classic pattern, any Self-coloured kittens will be non-agouti Classics,
and will show very heavy ghost markings as kittens. Any kitten with a Classic
pattern parent will carry the Classic pattern, and mated together two such cats
will produce 25% kittens with Classic Pattern - though again some may be
non-agouti. The Classic Pattern gene has existed in the domestic cat since the
earliest of times. It was this pattern that cat breeders first accepted as
being 'Tabby'. Possibly because the pattern is that of the ordinary domestic
moggy it has received limited attention from the majority of Oriental breeders.
It is the most variable of the Tabby patterns, and is also visually the
"heaviest". The pattern consists of wide stripes and whorls covering about 50%
of the body and there are larger areas of both agouti hair (ground colour) and
solid pattern than in any other type of tabby. The pattern of the Classic Tabby
is extremely variable, and though many Classic kittens may be produced many
fail to reach the required pattern standard. The markings of the Classic Tabby
are very distinctive and because of this various parts have been named. On the
shoulders is 'the butterfly', a series of markings which should be shaped like
a butterfly, though because of the slender shoulders of the Oriental this may
never be as well defined as in a British Shorthair or a Persian. The spine line
which runs from the butterfly to the tail is broad and must be solid and
unbroken; to each side and parallel with the spine line is another solid line
which drops down onto the flanks. On either side of the body there must be a
large solid 'blotch' or 'oyster' which is surrounded by one or more unbroken
rings. The area between these markings is of ticked hairs, the pattern however
must show no ticked or agouti hairs. It is very difficult to breed Classics
which are totally symmetrical, but this must be the aim.
THE ORIENTAL BICOLOUR
In the Oriental there are
more than 200 colour and pattern combinations currently accepted by the GCCF,
and I am delighted that there is now increased interest being shown in the
Oriental Bicolour, a variety which has for so long been shunned by Breeders
here in the UK. Many years ago fellow Oriental Judge Anna Bailey and I
discussed importing a Bicolour, but initial soundings indicated almost
wholehearted opposition ….. Oh my, oh my.... how times have changed!! It
seems that before long we will have this wonderful addition to our colour range
…. and maybe at last I can have what I have always wanted ….. an
Oriental Tortie & White with large distinct patches of colour!! This will
leave only the green- eyed "Oriental White" on my 'wish list'!
John S
Harrison
24.01.2004